August 2000 NMPRSA Bulletin Online
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Hospital CEO To Discuss Brand Identity
Mark your calendars now for the August NMPRSA luncheon meeting. It will be held on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 11:45 p.m. at the Sheraton Uptown at Louisiana and Menaul.
The guest speaker will be Steve McKernan, CEO of University Hospital. He has been CEO at the hospital since late-1996, first on an interim basis, and was officially promoted to the position in February 1998. Prior to that he was chief financial officer of the institution. Steve has been with University Hospital for 20 years. He will talk about some of the public relations-related aspects of his position, including a recent evaluation of the hospital's brand identity. He'll talk about issues to which we, as public relations professionals, easily relate.
Due to space limitations, we will have to limit attendance to no more than 40 people, so please make your reservations early. They will be taken on a first come, first served basis.
To make reservations, e-mail Sam Giammo at or call him at 272-3682.
We hope to see you there.
Tom Gives Local, National Update
By Tom Garrity
NMPRSA President
In lieu of
passing on different thoughts, I’d thought it would be good to update you on a
variety of activities occurring on the local and national level.
National Budget Issues
This month, the national board will post an audit of PRSA’s 1999 financial
statements on the PRSA web site (www.prsa.org).
The national chapter ended 1999 with an operating loss of $426,288 –
significantly larger than the than the $83,000 loss preliminary un-audited
figures had indicated earlier this year. Drawing
on a $1,912,843 in unrestricted assets and reserves will cover the loss.
Stephen Pisinski, APR, Fellow PRSA, Chair and CEO of PRSA says, “I want
to assure you that our financial status is sound.” After reviewing the audited financials, I agree.
A
New Mexico Chapter Budget Perspective
What can we learn from the PRSA losses? While
NMPRSA is not designed to be a money-generating machine, it is important to have
sound financial goals as a part of our strategic planning process. To that end,
it is important to note the key role Sam Giammo has played in holding the New
Mexico Chapter accountable to sound financial practices.
Thank you Sam.
New National Chair-Elect
Other news from National front includes the naming of Art Stevens, APR,
Fellow PRSA, chairman and chief executive officer of Publicis Dialog New York as
the 2001 chair-elect of PRSA, which means Stevens will serve as PRSA’s chair
in 2002. This is a good thing.
I have had the opportunity to discuss various issues with Mr. Stevens
over the past months. I like the
direction and vision he has for PRSA.
New PR Person for PRSA
We are all familiar with the saying of lead by example.
Last week it was announced that Catherine Bolton has been named Chief
Public Relations Officer for the Public Relations Society of America.
This is a good move. It
shows that our public relations society does not take good “PR” for granted.
It also takes a little pressure off of the volunteer board by providing a
full-time practitioner to take the public relations message to the street.
Ms. Bolton’s responsibilities will include managing two external
communication programs for PRSA. Ms.
Bolton has a strong public relations background.
A New New Mexico APR
Todd Sandman, of Rick Johnson & Company, recently received some great
news in the form of notification that he is now Accredited by the Universal
Accreditation Board! Congratulations
Todd Sandman, APR.
A Learning Opportunity
The PRSA Health Academy is sponsoring a 60-minute interactive conference call
addressing “The Paradox of Rising Drug Costs: Just What the HMO Ordered.”
For information on how you can participate in this September 12th
conference call (212) 460-1459. Registration
fees range from $75 to $95.
PR Pointers: Talking Shop, Talking
Trends
Contributed by David Geary
How's your recognition?
Many people don't know what Fortune 500 companies
actually do. A survey of 400 investors by New York-based Doremus Advertising
found half believed Sysco a computer company (it's a food service company); 70
percent believe Corning makes glassware (Corning sold that line two years ago);
50 percent have no idea what Alcoa makes (Alcoa: Aluminum Company of America),
and only 20 percent know that USX is a steel company (it used to be called U.S.
Steel).
(PR Week, July 31, 2000)
Not enough hours in the day for young women
Glamour magazine reports young women's lives are becoming more hectic. More than half (52%) say they're experiencing more stress and spending more times on careers. Half say managing their time has become more difficult. The research found issues with no direct impact on them (like world politics) don't hold their interest. Local issues like education, personal health, family and community do. (pr reporter, July 31, 2000)
Had enough of rumors?
All organizations suffer from rumors, but few know how to handle -- or even prevent -- them. Two researchers, one in New York and the other in Australia, surveyed 74 senior public relations professionals in top global corporations. Using previous and their own new research, they found the "best" rumor prevention and management action plans. Among the top actions: explain how upcoming change decisions will be made, and set timelines when official announcements will be made. (DiFonzo, N. & Bordia, P., "How top PR professionals handle hearsay: Corporate rumors, their effects, and strategies to manage them," Public Relations Review, Vol. 26, No. 2, Summer 2000, pp. 173-190)
Cows never get paid to be branded, but people ...
A web site, www.freecar.com, seeks applications from those who want a new vehicle. They get new vehicles for two years, or get paid up to $400 monthly for driving those they already own. The catch, you say? All anyone has to do is agree to have the vehicle wrapped in 3-D vinyl covered with an advertising slogan. The driver pays for gas and insurance, but all maintenance is free. A web site matches an applicant's demographics with an advertiser's needs. For example, Disney may look for a family with young children, while Gatorade may look for avid runners who go to running events. It's all part of "branding," getting images and messages to target audiences in innovative ways.
Calling all senior, mid-level and entry-level
NM communicators:
Be sure to reserve Wednesday,
October 25 for an exciting day of professional development and
skill-building. Plan now to attend NMPRSA's full-day seminar, Cutting
Edge Communications: The Basics - and Beyond. We'll
welcome national keynote speakers who will talk with us about effective
communications during mergers, branding, and Internet PR. We'll offer a
variety of breakout sessions on all the latest topics you've requested.
You'll take home real information designed to expand your knowledge base and
improve your professional skills, no matter where you are in your
communication career. You'll have a chance to meet and talk with members
of the local media, including television, radio and print journalists. And
of course, you'll be able to network with your peers, all the top communicators
in New Mexico!
Here are just a few of the session topics from
which you'll be able to choose:
• "Showing Value: Managing and Educating Your CEO"
• "Benchmarking for Senior Professionals: Taking Your
Research and Results to the Next Level"
• "Crisis Communications: Creating and Implementing an
Effective Crisis Plan"
• "Public Relations Planning: Researching and Writing a
Winning P.R. Plan"
• "Landing That Dream Job: Tips and Strategies for Public
Relations Professionals"
Cutting
Edge Communications: The Basics -- and Beyond
Wednesday, October 25, 2000
Breakfast with the Media at 7:30 a.m.
Seminar: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
New TVI Workforce Training Center
Look for full details and registration
information by next month on this web site, and in next month's NMPRSA newsletter. We look forward to seeing you
on October 25th!
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Way to Go Todd! The New Mexico Chapter of PRSA has a new APR member: Todd Sandman. Todd was a successful candidate during the spring 2000 exam period. A former press secretary for a U.S. Senator and
Communications Director for a U.S. Congressman in Washington, D.C., Todd
joined Rick Johnson & Co. in 1999 as the Director of Public Relations. Todd
also served as a corporate communications manager at Sun Healthcare Group in
Albuquerque. He has a bachelor of arts degree in Political Communication from
George Washington University. |